Top 10 Best Batman Artists

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Who stands among the giants of Batman art?

By Jesse Schedeen

Batman sure looks good for a guy celebrating his 75th birthday this year. To honor the Dark Knight's big landmark, we are counting down the top 10 best artists who have kept him looking so good over the years.

But what makes a great Batman artist? Our selections had to pass three tests. Their Batman must have been done in a unique style that didn't just borrow from what came before. Their Batman must have contributed to significant Batman stories that have gone on to shape the evolution of the character. And they must have made a lasting influence on the character so that their name will forever be associated with the word "Batman."

It's also worth noting that this list only focuses on those who worked on the Batman comics. So while many talented animators, game designers, and others have done some great stuff over the years, they were not up for consideration. Special shout-out to Bruce Timm of Batman: The Animated Series fame for his iconic portrayal of the Caped Crusader that has made an undeniable impact on the character over the years.

And while we're doing shout-outs, we would be remiss not to mention Batman creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger who gifted us the character in 1939's Detective Comics #27.

Here's IGN's list of the top 10 best Batman artists of all time!

10

Mike Parobeck

Essential Reading: The Batman Adventures

The comics industry has more than its fair share of under-appreciated creators. Batman co-creator Bill Finger (uncredited though he is) may be the greatest unsung hero of them all. But when it comes specifically to Batman artists who never received the recognition their talent deserved, Mike Parobeck tops the list.

Parobeck was responsible for illustrating The Batman Adventures for much of its shelf life. That comic tied into Batman: The Animated Series and featured a similar, Bruce Timm-inspired art style. While Timm did create the precedent, Parobeck made it all his own -- not just with the look of Batman, but with how he moved, behaved, and fought. Parobeck drew a clean, simple, elegant Batman in a time when many artists tended towards excessive detail and shadow. His page layouts were phenomenal, using dynamic angles and energetic poses that made The Batman Adventures worthy of the TV series that inspired it.

Parobeck passed away well before his time. Luckily, he left behind a strong legacy, with his work serving as an example of how good all-ages superhero comics can be in the right hands.

9

Greg Capullo

Essential Reads: Batman (New 52) Vols. 1-4

Though hardly a new face on the comic book scene, Greg Capullo became one of the breakout stars of DC's New 52 relaunch when he and writer Scott Snyder took over the new volume of Batman in 2011. From the opening scene of Batman and a Joker-disguised Nightwing battling Arkham's inmates, it was clear that Capullo had a flair for bold, action-packed storytelling. Capullo's work only stood out more as he and Snyder introduced a significant new threat to Batman's world - the Court of Owls. Batman #5 cemented Capullo's status as one of the best artists working at DC as it explored Batman's psychedelic journey through the Court's labyrinth and his descent into madness.

Capullo has only continued to impress in the years since. He rendered a frightening new take on Joker in Death of the Family and is currently presenting an ambitious new take on Batman's first year during the extended Zero Year storyline.

One of the reasons that the Snyder/Capullo partnership has worked so well is that Snyder treats Gotham City as every bit as much a character as Batman, Joker, and the rest. The city is a living, breathing entity, and that's a quality Capullo reflects in every single panel. There's no telling what the two creators will be able to accomplish as their run continues.

8

Kelley Jones

Essential Reads: Knightfall, Batman - Vampire Trilogy

You won't find a Batman artist with a more distinctive style than Kelley Jones. Jones' Batman is not at all realistic. This is Batman at his darkest and most Gothic. Between the half-gangly, half-muscular physique, long ears, and billowing cape, Jones' Batman gives off the impression of being a vampiric creature of the night. Which is appropriate considering that some of Jones' most famous Batman stories involve the Caped Crusader turning into a vampire and battling Dracula.

Jones worked on many other Batman stories in addition to his Vampire Trilogy, including the Knightfall saga and an extended run with writer Doug Moench. Unfortunately, the subject matter in Moench's tales wasn't always well-tailored to Jones' storytelling sensibilities. But his striking covers could always sell a Batman comic, even if the contents might not be as dark and foreboding as that cover would suggest.

7

Dick Sprang

Essential Reads: Batman Archives

Perhaps no artist better defines the Golden Age-era of Batman than Dick Sprang. This wasn't the dark, lanky, gun-toting Batman of the early Bob Kane comics. Sprang drew Batman as a barrel-chested, square-jawed, ever-smiling hero. And in a time where many superhero comics featured crude, rushed artwork, Sprang brought a clean, elegant style of line-work and a vivid imagination to the page. His Batman and Robin often squared off against their rogues in larger-than-life situations. This Batman was a powerful force for good who never tired and never failed to uphold justice.

If you want an idea of how influential Sprang's art style is even today, look no further than DC's animated Batman shows. In the New Batman Adventures episode "Legends of the Dark Knight," one vignette is heavily inspired by Sprang's art and storytelling sensibilities. And the more recent Batman: The Brave and the Bold also pays heavy homage to Sprang's work and DC's Golden Age era.

6

David Mazzucchelli

Essential Reads: Batman - Year One

David Mazzucchelli has only worked on one major Batman story in his career. But as that story is one of the most beloved and influential in Batman's long history, Mazzucchelli deserves his place in the Batman pantheon.

Fresh off their monumental Daredevil collaboration with Born Again, Mazzucchelli and Frank Miller re-teamed to work their magic for the Caped Crusader on Batman: Year One. Year One came on the heels of DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths mini-series and was one of several attempts to update and streamline a hero for a more contemporary audience. This Batman was a far cry from the hulking monster of Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. In Year One, Bruce Wayne is young, inexperienced, and still searching for a way to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. And Lt. James Gordon is every bit as integral to this origin story as Batman himself, as both characters struggle through their chaotic first year in Gotham City.

Mazzucchelli brought the perfect visual touch to this more grounded Batman tale. His presented a heavily noir-influenced take on Gotham, full of shadows and grime and suffering. But even if Mazzucchelli's Batman wasn't the muscle-bound superhero of many past Batman works, he still cut an impressive figure as he stalked Gotham's underworld kingpins and let them know their days of feasting were done. With most everything else in the late '80s veering towards bigger and more bombastic, Mazzucchelli opted for a more grounded, haunted Batman.